As communication technology continues to expand, individuals are faced with an ever increasing number of information sources. For example, many cable television services offer dozens of different channels from which a user can choose. Some available satellite systems claim to offer hundreds of channels and it is widely expected that cable services will expand in an effort to match or exceed this capability. Similar gains in the quantity of available programs and services are anticipated in areas of communication other than television.
This dramatic increase in the amount of available programs and services greatly increases the amount and type of information accessible to a user. One common form of information accessible to users is advertising or product promotion. For example, home shopping networks are television channels dedicated to displaying and advertising various products. Consumers can typically purchase desired products by calling a telephone number displayed with the product.
Television users are also provided product information through "infomercials." A typical informercial provides information and promotional material about a specific product or product line for an extended period of time, typically for thirty minutes to an hour. Infomercials generally include interviews with satisfied customers and detailed examples of how to use the product. Again, a user can generally purchase desired products by calling or writing to a source identified in the informercial.
A problem with these services is that a user can only passively watch information and cannot interactively respond to the informational messages. For example, a customer who desires to purchase a product displayed cannot do so through the television, but has to use a different communication medium, such as a telephone or a mail service. This process is inconvenient and prone to error in that the user may incorrectly record or miss the opportunity to record the telephone number or address, resulting in a lost opportunity to purchase the product.